It’s OK to Take a Break.

Recently I have taken a break from reading and I haven’t picked up a book for over a week. No real reason other than I just don’t want to. I love reading, I really I do and most of the time I’d be more than happy to spend all day, every day reading. But, at the risk of getting lynched (ask me nicely and I’ll post something controversial worthwhile for you to lynch me over) and having to hand in my book blogger membership card and ID (my number is 666 – which is pretty cool and I must be the Devil’s favourite blogger) I have enjoyed stepping away from it and having a break.

Whilst taking a break though there has been this voice in my head, nagging, niggling away at me and making me ask myself that because I am a book blogger should I be reading every day? That, whether on days when I don’t want to read should I push through and do it anyway because it is expected of me. I mean, how can I be a book blogger if I’m not reading?🤔

At the moment there is no discernible reason why I don’t want to pick up a book and read, I just don’t. However, there are also myriad other reasons why I might not want to read.

I might finish a book and decide that instead of diving straight into another book that I want to take a day or two away from reading before I start my next book. I might want to type my notes up and write the review for the book that I just finished before starting my new read as, that way, I’ll be able to start that new book with a blank slate and no outstanding reviews that I need to find words for and write.

I might be procrastinating and even though I have 50,000 (slight exaggeration on the size of my TBR but, ya know, I am male, we exaggerate where sizes are concerned) books to choose from I might not be able to decide which book I want to read next and I end up spending a couple of days figuring out what I am in the mood for. That’s not my fault. It is the fault of all of the authors who write such amazing books, the blurbs that all sound so enticing and the covers that all look so stunning and that of course, the books themselves that all whisper ‘read me‘.

I might have other things going on in my life. Obviously not a social life, I’m a loner and an outcast and I don’t have one. If I had a partner (I don’t, no woman wants me and I am like an aged book on the shelf, getting near to being called a classic with dust and cobwebs clinging to the spine and my story remaining unread) I could be spending time with them and I might not be able to pick up a book – I might have my hands full with other assets instead!😂😜 C’mon, harmless filth for the win.😉 I shall even mansplain it to you. By assets I mean another four-letter word that come in a variety of shapes and sizes just like books, that sounds very similar to books and that are boobs ( . ) ( . )

I could be ill and that that might stop me from reading. I can’t read when I have a bad headache anyway as it makes my head spin and the headache worse. But, I could be suffering from a cold, a virus, the dreaded man flu and I might just want to curl up and die rather than read. Or, I might want to plot my violent and bloody revenge (think Deadpool mixed with Rambo) on whoever I caught the germs from and have no time for reading as I spend my time thinking of even more grisly and gruesome ways to get my vengeance.

Maybe I had a bad day at work which would usually have me reaching for a book with both hands to escape into when I get home. But, at other times, it might not. I could just be having an off day and I can’t focus enough to read. There are personal issues, sometimes darkness follows me, stalks me and if I’m having a down day I might find solace in a book. But, like with a bad day at work. At other times, I might not as it can be a struggle to focus when dark thoughts are plaguing me and try as I might I just can’t find enough clarity and peace to be able to read more than a few pages and ultimately, even if I want to read.

We never know what is going to happen, life might get in the way, something might occur that is beyond my control, that old saying ‘shit happens‘ and something important/unexpected happens that takes priority and that means that I can’t pick up a book and read.

The reason I don’t want to read could be as simple as either, time got away from me. Or, I just want to chill out and relax some other way. Catching up with TV shows, watching a film or spending a few hours playing a video game instead of delving into a book.

As I wrote at the beginning of the post I love reading, I do and I tend to get antsy if I have a book on the go and can’t for whatever reason get a chance to read. I mean, I often get annoyed if I only find time to read a few pages when all I want is to spend a good chunk of time devouring the book. Honestly, there is nothing better than losing myself in a book and it is something that I enjoy immensely. But, it doesn’t mean that I have to do it every day. I also asked back at the start that as a book blogger should I be reading every day? The answer to that question is no, no I shouldn’t. If I want to read each and every day then that is OK and if I don’t, then that is OK too.

Reading is a hobby, it should be fun and as a hobby, I shouldn’t feel any guilt or pressure over it. I should be able to take a break, take a day off and the weekend away from it without questioning whether or not it is OK for me too because, simply, it is OK.👍📚

Not reading every day doesn’t make me any less of a book blogger than those who read multiple books daily. It doesn’t make me any less of a book lover either and it doesn’t make those that do any better than me. We all love reading whether we read daily or not and whether we read 10 books, 50 books, 150 books or 300+ books a year.

It’s OK to be you, you are good enough, it’s OK to be a fast reader, it’s OK to be a slow reader, it’s OK to read one book at a time and it’s OK to read multiple books at the same time too. Do what suits you, do what makes you happy and remember that if the enjoyment is fading then it is OK to take a break. The books will still be there tomorrow, in a day or two, next week or whenever you next feel like picking one of them up.

This post is about reading in general and not ARC’s but for those who feel pressured by ARC release dates and the need to have the book read and reviewed by then. No-one ever died from missing a release date, you aren’t the first, you certainly won’t be the last, a review is still a review regardless of when it is posted, you aren’t letting anyone down and the world won’t end either.📚

To end the post I will finish with some of what I have written is also applicable to blogging too.

Blogging can be hard, it can feel like there is lots of pressure associated with having and running a blog and it can be a stressful endeavour. If you want to blog daily then blog daily and if you don’t, don’t. Don’t want to read other blogs daily, don’t. You get the picture, do what you want.👍 There is no right or wrong way to blog and we are all different. We all run our own blog how we want and we are all run our own blog in the way that is right for and that works for us. Different not better and it perhaps needs to be written that no-one is better than anyone else and no way of blogging is better than another.

Reading is a hobby and blogging is a hobby too. There are no expectations or rules that need to be obeyed. If it all gets too much, if you lose the fun or, simply because you want to then please remember that there is no shame and that it is perfectly OK to take a break from both blogging and/or reading.👍